Matias lives with his father and his mother. He is responsible for caring for animals and running errands. His father is employed as a laborer and his mother is employed as a laborer. There are 2 children in the family.
As part of Compassion's ministry, Matias participates in church activities. He is also in primary school where his performance is above average. Soccer, playing with cars and art are his favorite activities.
Please remember Matias in your prayers. Your love and support will help him to receive the assistance he needs to grow and develop.
Matias lives in Cooperativa Urbanor, home to approximately 7,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of cement floors, brick walls and corrugated iron roofs. The most commonly spoken language is Spanish.
The regional diet consists of beans, bananas, chicken, fish and rice. Common health problems in this area include respiratory diseases, parasites, malnutrition and gastrointestinal illnesses. Most adults in Cooperativa Urbanor are unemployed but some work in factories or domestic service and earn the equivalent of $150 per month. This community needs food, clothing, an improved sewer system and sports facilities.
Your sponsorship allows the staff of Plenitud de Dios (God's Plentitude) Student Center to provide Matias with Christian education, medical checkups, health education, special celebrations, school supplies and academic reinforcement. The center staff will also provide home visits and parents' school for the parents or guardians of Matias.
Straddling the equator, Ecuador has two Andes mountain ranges that split it into three zones: the western coastal lowlands, the central Andean highlands and the eastern jungles of the Amazon basin. The lowlands and islands are hot and humid and the highlands are temperate.
The Ecuadorian population is about 25 percent Amerindian and 65 percent mestizo (Amerindian and Caucasian). The remainder is of Spanish or African descent. Most people live in urban settings. Spanish is the official language but many Indians speak Quechua, the language of the Incas, and practice traditional religions. Ninety-five percent of Ecuadorians are Catholic. Compassion works throughout central and western Ecuador.
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro invaded Ecuador, home of the Inca Empire, in 1532 and controlled it within two years. In 1822, Ecuador gained freedom as part of a federation known as Gran Colombia. In 1830, it gained independence as Ecuador.
In recent decades, Ecuador's economy has relied heavily on oil export revenue, so fluctuations in world market prices have a significant economic impact. A drop in world oil prices combined with natural disasters in the late 1990s to drive Ecuador's economy into poverty. In 2000, Congress enacted reforms and adopted the U.S. dollar as legal tender, which helped stabilize the economy. In recent years, however, economic reforms have been reversed, making Ecuador again vulnerable to oil price swings and financial crises. And though Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, it has been troubled by political instability, including the ouster of the last three democratically elected presidents. Rafael Correa is the current president.
Map of Ecuador
Child's Location: Northern Guayaquil
